Custom Sofa Centre director opens Sofa Clearance Store, leaving distraught customers out of pocket

Angry customers have filed complaints after a sofa company allegedly failed to deliver product, with the director now operating a new sofa store less than a month after closing multiple showrooms.

The Custom Sofa Centre. Picture: Supplied

The man behind a sofa company accused of failing to fulfil orders registered a new sofa clearance company just a month before ceasing operations at three existing showrooms, allegedly leaving many waiting customers out of pocket.

The three cleared showrooms were operating under The Custom Sofa Centre brand at Maroochydore and Birtinya on the Sunshine Coast and North Lakes in the Moreton Bay region.

After waiting nearly six months and reporting an initial outlay of thousands of dollars, customers of various Custom Sofa Centre showrooms came forward to say they were still waiting for their orders.

Sofa Clearance Store, registered in February 2023. Picture: Supplied

The Courier-Mail confirmed through ASIC records that Joseph Daher, director of The Custom Sofa Centre Maroochydore and former director of The Sofa Company Pty Ltd, formally registered Sofa Clearance Store on February 9, one month before the showroom closure of The Custom Sofa Centre Maroochydore in early March.

The Sofa Clearance Store operates at Stafford in Brisbane’s north.

Less than two months later, Mr Daher also registered two new businesses, Buy Instagram Followers Australia and VIP and Celebrity Bodyguard Services.

Craig Lynch is listed as the current director of Home Furnishing Services Pty Ltd. Picture: Supplied

ASIC records also show that Craig Lynch, the current director of Home Furnishing Services Pty Ltd (the company listed as the payer on employee pay slips at the Maroochydore Custom Sofa Centre store) was disqualified from managing corporations for four years in 2016.

Just one month after the disqualification was lifted, Mr Lynch became director of The Sofa Company Pty Ltd, replacing Mr Daher, and less than one year later he became director of Home Furnishing Services Pty Ltd.

The websites for The Custom Sofa Centre and Sofa Clearance Store are still registered to Mr Daher, however there is no indication of the two companies being directly linked.

A pay slip provided to an employee of The Custom Sofa Centre Maroochydore. Picture: Supplied

A former employee of The Sofa Centre Maroochydore told The Courier-Mail: “There was really no communication with the owner whatsoever, whoever the owner may be.

“We could sort of see the writing on the wall.

“Nothing was really happening, and you could only see certain things on the order.

“Anybody who ordered anything from September onwards … they’re never going to get their sofas.

Craig Lynch became director of The Sofa Company Pty Ltd in March 2020. Picture: Supplied

“I suppose in the end I wanted to get out of there, my conscience just couldn’t do it any more.

“I had taken a few orders for people and in the end I felt horrible.”

In the days after publishing complaints about unfulfilled Custom Sofa Centre orders, at least three other customers have reached out to The Courier-Mail with similar reports of not receiving their sofas.

Jacqui Wicks said she was now sitting on slowly deflating blow-up lounges.

“I have lost $4350,” she said.

“Same story as everyone else. Ordered, paid and continuously told it was held up in customs.

“Asked for a refund and they stopped all contact.”

Multiple customers told The Courier-Mail they had complained to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.

An ACCC spokeswoman said she could not comment on potential investigations.

The Courier-Mail has approached The Custom Sofa Centre and Sofa Clearance Store for comment.